The Mills-Davis House

The Mills-Davis House This page celebrates the historic Mills-Davis House, an Italianate home located at 523 E. 6th St. in By 1945, the property was acquired by Dr. Emmett N.

Abraham Anderson Mills (1843-1927) and his wife Eliza Missouri "Eudie" LeFevre Mills (1848-1931) occupied the home from 1878 until the early 1940s. Anderson Mills was a Civil War veteran, sheriff, and the county judge famous for opening the first "free bridge" over the Arkansas River. He also oversaw the cultivation of over 2,200 acres of plantation land around the Arkansas River, including one ow

ned by his wife's family (The LeFevre Plantation) along with his own farm (The Faulkner Plantation). His wife was descended from some of Arkansas's early settlers, Canadian natives who arrived at Arkansas Post in 1770. Davis and was then passed to his son, the famed Arkansas photographer William ("Bill") E. Davis (1918-2016). Although Bill spent 40 years as a commercial photographer, he also spent more than 25 years focusing on fine art photography, eventually operating a gallery space from the residence. In 2016 the home was purchased by Jennifer Carman, a historic preservationist who rehabilitated the property and now operates her art advisory and appraisal business in the space.

If anybody is wondering how Pumpkin Davis and Clementine are handing this torrential rain, rest assured that they aren’t...
06/02/2022

If anybody is wondering how Pumpkin Davis and Clementine are handing this torrential rain, rest assured that they aren’t having to handle it at all. 🌧 ☔️ ⚡️

100 years ago AT THIS VERY MOMENT, Anderson and Eudie Mills, namesakes of The Mills-Davis House, were having an "open ho...
03/20/2022

100 years ago AT THIS VERY MOMENT, Anderson and Eudie Mills, namesakes of The Mills-Davis House, were having an "open house" to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. From 2pm to 5pm they welcomed friends into their home at 523 E. 6th St. According to this 1922 article marking the occasion, only five of the original wedding attendees were still alive to come join them for cake. At the time, Anderson was 80 and Eudie was 74. They were described as "enjoying good health and still young in spirits....[living] alone in their picturesque old home." When asked for advice, Judge Mills hailed the virtues of "Old-fashioned girls." An excerpt from the article: "Comparing the women of the CIvil War days with the modern woman, Judge Mills is not altogether flattering to the latter. He maintains that the old-fashioned girl was superior in many ways. She was more devoted to her home, she was more demure and modest. She was more loyal to her husband and less given to frivolous ways. There was less family bickering in those days, he declares. Divorce was extremely rare. Once a couple joined hands in marraige, they stuck' for better or worse. 'Nowadays if a man has money, his wife will spend all she can, and if he hasn't any money she will leave him,' he said. The judge is a close observer of what goes on today and he shakes his head doubtfully when he reflects on the ways of the modern girl. She is flirtatious and seems to encourage undue familiarity on the part of men. Fifty years ago, he said, there was not a man who would not fight for the honor of a woman. They would probably do the same thing today if it were not for the present-day attitude of the woman. If men respect her less, it is her own fault, he declares. Judge Mills' advice to young married coupkes is for the wife to be thrift and center her interests on her home, working with her husband and instead of against him, as so many young wives seem bound to do. The wise course for the husband is to let his wife run the affairs of the home, and for him to stay at home nights and treat her as a sweetheart, showing her the same little courtesies and attentions as during the courting days." To read the amusing tale of how they met, you can see the full 1922 article in the comments. Happy 150 years to Anderson and Eudie!

This blooming Japanese camellia is a lovely sign that Spring has arrived! 🌱 🌸 🌺
03/20/2022

This blooming Japanese camellia is a lovely sign that Spring has arrived! 🌱 🌸 🌺

Brrrrrrrr!!!!
03/12/2022

Brrrrrrrr!!!!

Under the administration of Judge Anderson Mills - namesake of The Mills-Davis House - Little Rock's first "free bridge...
02/07/2022

Under the administration of Judge Anderson Mills - namesake of The Mills-Davis House - Little Rock's first "free bridge" across the Arkansas River was opened to the public in 1897. The Free Bridge, which connected Little Rock's Main Street to North Little Rock's Maple Street, had dedicated spaces for both wagon and foot traffic. This vintage postcard that Jonathan Ross posted in the Remember in Little Rock group from his grandmother Margaret Ross's collection shows the pedestrian walkway near the rail. The central area was reserved for horses and wagons.

Just in case any of Pumpkin Davis’s admirers have wondered if he’s cold, he is toasty warm and just fine. He and Clement...
01/22/2022

Just in case any of Pumpkin Davis’s admirers have wondered if he’s cold, he is toasty warm and just fine. He and Clementine have been coming into the library to get cuddles and treats on these bitter cold nights. 🎃 🥶 ♥️

Fall has definitely arrived at The Mills-Davis House. The leaves are swirling and the ground is awash in gold and red! 🍁...
11/17/2021

Fall has definitely arrived at The Mills-Davis House. The leaves are swirling and the ground is awash in gold and red! 🍁 🍂

One of the best things about this house is that it came with an orange tomcat named Pumpkin Davis. He’s been a loner for...
09/01/2021

One of the best things about this house is that it came with an orange tomcat named Pumpkin Davis. He’s been a loner for six years, living under the house and only occasionally sharing space with a visiting raccoon or possum. During the course of the pandemic, he too realized that being so isolated is a rather sad thing, so he decided to befriend a very petite stray kitten. He brought her around for many afternoon porch visits, and now she is his faithful companion and understudy who also calls this house her home. Everybody, meet Pumpkin’s very tiny (but full grown) friend, Clementine!

04/21/2021

This is sheer joy. Volume up!

Thanks to a miracle worked by the amazing Brian at Bray Sheet Metal Co., The Mills-Davis House now has one of its origin...
03/22/2021

Thanks to a miracle worked by the amazing Brian at Bray Sheet Metal Co., The Mills-Davis House now has one of its original "Buckeye" fence gates installed at the front entrance. A replica will be made for the back gate on Sherman Street. From what I've heard, the front walk hasn't had its gate in about fifty years. Isn't it terrific? 143 years old and it still latches perfectly. It was manufactured by a firm called Mast & Foos based in Springfield, Ohio. In addition to iron fencing, they also made lawn mowers and wind turbines and well pumps. Turns out their fences last longer than they did. They existed from 1875 until they were purchased in 1940. In the comments I'll show an image or two of their cool advertisement cards.

Address

523 E. 6th Street
Little Rock, AR

Telephone

(501) 744-8049

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